Study: Rep. Raul Ruiz frequently defied president, Democratic Party

WASHINGTON – Rep. Raul Ruiz wasn’t always a party-line voter during his first year in the House, according to a study released Monday.

The Palm Desert Democrat voted against President Barack Obama 41 percent of the time and defied House Democrats on almost 23 percent of votes cast in 2013, according to an analysis by CQ Weekly, a Capitol Hill magazine published by Congressional Quarterly, Inc.

Ruiz was No. 13 on the list of top House Democrats who defied the president on votes in which the White House announced its position, according to CQ’s analysis. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., who opposed Obama on 73 percent of the votes, topped that list.

On the “party unity” scale, Ruiz was No. 15 among House Democrats who frequently voted against the majority of their caucus. Leading that pack was Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, who defied his party on 52 percent of last year’s votes.

McIntyre, who won his 2012 race with 50.1 percent of the vote, is retiring at the end of his term rather than seek re-election in his solidly Republican district. Matheson edged out his GOP opponent by 768 votes to win two years ago. He faces a tight re-election race in November.

So does Ruiz, who beat longtime GOP Rep. Mary Bono with 52.9 percent of the vote in 2012 on what was his first run at elective office.

The 36th Congressional District has 104,855 registered Democrats, 111,074 Republicans and 47,502 unaffiliated voters, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters.

Bono’s former chief of staff, state Assemblyman Brian Nestande, is seeking the GOP nomination to battle Ruiz in this year’s November general election.

The CQ study lends credence to Ruiz’s claim that he votes independently, something he’s sure to underscore on the campaign trail.

Ruiz was traveling Monday and unavailable for an interview.

In a statement released by his office, Ruiz was quoted as saying that his voting record shows he wants to rise above the “hyper-partisan gamesmanship” in Congress.

“Rather than adhere to a ridged party line, I have worked to find solutions right here in our community . . . and I have consistently voted for the best interests of my constituents,” Ruiz was quoted as saying.

Republicans dismiss such talk as empty rhetoric.

After Ruiz’s campaign criticized Nestande’s congressional supporters as proponents of last year’s partial government shutdown, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, said talking ill of the GOP “is an odd way for Raul Ruiz to establish his so-called bipartisan credentials.”

“Our disagreements with (House Minority Leader) Nancy Pelosi and President Obama are based on our beliefs of what is good for the country, not some desire to create gridlock,” Calvert said. “As Ruiz himself has said, ‘enough is enough, the games have to stop.’ ”

A recent example of Ruiz defying his party came last week, when he voted against a five-year, $500 billion farm bill citing what he called an “unacceptable” $8 billion cut to the food-stamp program. The bill passed the GOP-led House 251-166 and is expected to easily pass the Democratic-majority Senate. Obama is expected to sign it into law.

His most controversial vote came Sept. 30, when Ruiz sided with a GOP proposal that would have barred members of Congress and their aides from getting tax credits to pay for coverage purchased through online exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.

Ruiz’s office clarified later that he and his aides will accept the tax credits.

Ruiz, an emergency room doctor before coming to Congress, faced a barrage of criticism for his vote because he’d campaigned on his support for the law. The Republican bill, which had no chance of passing, was one in a series of attempts to weaken or repeal the law.

California’s Democratic senators stood by Obama and their party almost all the time, the CQ analysis showed.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein sided with Obama 100 percent of the time whereas Sen. Barbara Boxer did so 99 percent of the time. Both of them sided with the majority of Senate Democrats 99 percent of the time, CQ said.